The Advice Column
by writer writing
Summary: Lois is put in charge of the Torch's advice column. Clark wants her advice. Takes place in season 4.
1. Chapter 1

"The advice column? Are you kidding me?" Lois asked Chloe in a disbelieving tone.

"I'm completely serious."

"Lois Lane giving advice," she said with a snort. "What kind of world would that be? I'm the last person who should give people advice. Find another "reporter"," she said, using air quotes around reporter. "I mean wouldn't Smallville be good at that kind of thing? He seems sappy and sagely enough for an advice column."

Chloe pleaded with her. "You're practically an icon ever since you wrote that article on plastic surgery. People would take the advice column more seriously if you did it. You would be more popular than Dear Abby."

"You're laying it on a little thick, don't you think?" Lois said with a disapproving look.

"Please, for your little cousin," Chloe said with big, sad eyes and clasped hands.

"You missed your calling as an actress. You should forget about the newspaper and join the drama club." Chloe didn't change her 19th century, begging-orphan look. Lois rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine, I'll do it."

Chloe dropped her sad act and threw her arms around Lois. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. You won't regret this."

"I already do."

Chloe grabbed the shoebox with the requests for advice in them and dumped them onto the desk in front of Lois.

"You are just plain evil. Do you know that?"

"I know," Chloe said, not the least bit phased. "I have a quick errand. Would you man the forts for me until I get back?"

"Sure, because this place is busier than Grand Central Station, right?"

Chloe didn't bother to reply. She put the shoebox back onto the table, that was set up for the purpose and right outside the door, as she left.

Lois started sorting through the slips of paper, "Idiot, idiot, lovesick idiot, idiot, id—"

She was interrupted by Clark. "Where's Chloe?"

"Out to lunch," Lois replied sarcastically.

Clark responded with a puzzled look.

"Do I look like her secretary, Smallville? What do you want?"

"I just wanted to know if she had any assignments for me."

Lois started to give another of her retorts and then she thought better of it. She smiled sweetly. "As a matter of fact, she did want you to do this advice column thing. Being the kind person that I am, I was sorting them for you."

"Nice try, but you're not that kind and I know she gave you that assignment."

"How did you know? I just found out about it myself."

He smiled devilishly. "I'm the one that suggested it."

Her eyes narrowed. "You suggested this? Do you have an early death wish? What were you thinking?"

"I'm not sure. I should have suggested you cover all of the sports events, so your evenings stay occupied."

"You're too amusing. Why don't you go see if you can hunt down Chloe? You're disturbing my work here."

"Gladly. Enjoy." He received one more death glare before he left the room.

Clark smiled as he glanced through the door at Lois. She was muttering to herself as she separated the rest of the paper slips. He pulled out a piece of notebook paper and hurriedly wrote something down before she discovered what he was doing. Then he dropped the folded, white slip of paper into the box.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

"You got 2 more notes since yesterday," Chloe announced and she handed her 2 slips of papers.

"Oh, goody," Lois said, clapping her hands in fake glee. Lois snorted as she read the first one. "I think this one is a joke, either that or we have a 5 year old running around the school. Listen to this. 'I flushed my goldfish down the toilet by accident. Is there anyway to get him back?'"

Chloe didn't believe it and had to come read it for herself.

"Amazing, isn't it? I've got a good response to this one. 'Dear Toilet Flusher, First of all, I advise you not to take any living creatures near the toilet in the future. Keep the lid down if you're not using it. Second of all, your fish, if it made it to the sewer plant alive, which is doubtful, has mostly likely been, if you'll pardon the expression, fished out or is being eaten by bacteria. Take a trip to the pet shop or carnival.'"

"Lois, you can't respond that way. It's too brash. If he or she was serious, they'll be crushed by a response like that."

"Chloe, what did you expect? If you wanted a coddler, you picked the wrong person. I'm too honest for that."

"You can tell the truth in a kinder way."

"I really can't. You're the editor, edit."

Chloe gave up and went back to her own desk.

"Oh, and this one is a real winner too. 'I know a girl who is loud, bossy, rude, and at times, I can't stand her. However, I find her attractive, we're often eerily in tune with each other, she's brave, she makes me forget my problems, and she has a good sense of humor. In other words, I am starting to learn her good points too, and that her bad points may not be that bad. A girl that I love, a different girl, told me that not getting along with a girl at first is often a sign that it could become a great romance. What do you think about a relationship beginning that way? Does it have potential? Signed, Slow Admirer of the Rude and Bossy' Isn't that the saddest case of a schmuck that you have ever heard of? I bet the guy wears black framed glasses with lenses an inch thick."

Lois started writing back immediately and said her response out loud for Chloe's benefit. "Dear SARB, Wake up and smell the stench. It sounds to me like the girl you love is trying to pass you off to another girl and hoping you find a romance, so that she feels less guilty about being with somebody else. She's a high schooler, at least I hope she is, how the heck does she know how great romances start? From romance novels? Her favorite soap? You're confusing tolerance with a budding romance due to suggestion. However, assuming in the doubtful event that it's more than a growing tolerance, you're hardly middle-aged; you have plenty of time before you have to settle down. Wait until you truly do feel something for this girl and the girl you love becomes the girl you loved." How does that sound, Miss Editor? The sucker ought to kick this girl he loves to the curb and take a couple of lessons from the rude girl. I hate it when people try to reject somebody without rejecting them. It's disgusting, and I bet the last thing on her mind is sparing the guy's feelings; she just wants to keep him coming around because she is emotionally needy. In fact, I bet she'll lead the poor guy on again as soon as her current fling is over. I have that girl's number and I don't even know her. You find the same kinds of people in every school, they just have different names. I've learned that from moving around like I have."

Chloe looked troubled.

"Was I too brash again?" she asked with an annoyed sigh.

"I'll be back. I have to talk to somebody."

Chloe tracked down Clark and pulled him into a private hallway.

"I know you wrote that note to Lois, so don't even try to play dumb. Are you out of your mind?"

Clark was puzzled. "What was wrong with it?"

"For one thing, if Lois figures out that it was you, she is going to kill you for calling her loud, bossy, and rude. And what if Lana figures out it's you, as will be the case if she really said that. And are you that desperate that you'll go out with my cousin if she advises you to go for it? And she didn't by the way."

"Yes, I mean no. I just wanted to know what Lois thought about a relationship that started out that way. You know to make sure Lana is wrong. I guess I know now," he said, feeling more disappointed than he had expected to feel.

"Well, just don't write to Lois for anymore advice."

"And why not?"

Chloe was surprised. "I don't understand why you're arguing with me. I think Lois is starting to rub off on you."

"That isn't very nice," Clark joked.

Chloe smiled in relief. She had started to worry that Clark's feelings toward Lois really were changing for a minute there. "I have to get back and edit some of Lois' responses. The paper goes out tomorrow."

"I'm sure they'll make an interesting read. I wouldn't edit them if I were you."

"I'll think about it," Chloe responded.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

There were laughs, snickers, and occasional snorts of indignation up and down the hallways of Smallville High as the students read the Torch, or to be more exact the advice column.

Lois smiled to herself. As much as she hated to admit it, she was enjoying being so successful at journalism. Chloe hadn't edited her work after all, other than the spelling. She would like to rub her success with the school paper in the faces of all the English teachers she'd had in the past.

Her small self-congratulations was interrupted when the cheerleaders surrounded her with the paper in their hands.

"Not you," Lois said with a sigh of annoyance. "You know when you sign up to be cheerleaders, the job description requires you to smile and wave your pom-poms. It does not include becoming a posse and threatening every person who tells you your makeup is smudged."

The head cheerleader wasn't amused. "You have a way with words. If you don't watch, one day those words are going to get you in a whole lot of trouble."

"No one says you have to talk to me or read the paper if you don't like my way with words. I didn't submit the question about how to get rid of annoying cheerleaders, but if you don't like it, I'm clearly doing something right."

"Other people read it and that damages our reputation," said another cheerleader in a dark tone.

"If they don't know that what I say is true, they either never will or don't care. It's not going to ruin your fragile reputations. Trust me."

"It's not only going to ruin our reputations, but it will turn us into the butt of everyone's jokes," said the head cheerleader. "Listen to this. 'Not every cheerleader has the personality you described, but clearly the ones at this school are your stereotypical cheerleaders: the skinny, little egoists who need their pom-poms stuffed up their—well, you get the picture, because there is only so much you can say in a school paper. They only wield as much power as you let them wield. The next time they throw an insulting comment your way, throw one back, or better yet, just laugh. They take great pride in watching others suffer by their injury. Don't suffer by it and you take away half their fun. Take away their athletic boyfriends and there's the other half.'"

"I know what it says," Lois said with a roll of her eyes. "I wrote it."

The cheerleader stepped closer, "And you better unwrite it or your life will become a living night—"

Clark came seemingly out of nowhere and slipped his arm around Lois's waist. "Is there a problem, ladies?"

They all glared at Clark, including Lois. At last, the head cheerleader said, "Not at all," and left.

Lois pulled his arm off of her. "Was that really necessary?"

"You know when a person rescues another person from an angry mob, the traditional reply is thank you, not 'was that necessary'," Clark told her.

"If I want a hero, I'll let you know. Now go look for a real damsel in distress, would you?" she said, walking off without waiting for a response from him.

Clark looked disgruntled as he watched her walk away. Then he looked inspired. He reached into his bookbag and pulled out another piece of paper and pen. He started writing.

-

Chloe came with the shoebox the next day and a wide smile. "I was right. You're a hit. The box is bursting with responses. Some people want advice and some of it is actually fan mail."

"And probably the occasional threat."

"Those too," Chloe said with a smile, handing the box over.

Lois read the first slip of paper to herself. "I need some advice on girls. More specifically a certain type of girl. I am used to girls being, well, girls. I want to get along with this particular girl I know, but I'm not sure how to interact with her without making her angry. She is kind of like having a pal, but I know it's not as simple as that. How do I treat her the way she wants to be treated like a guy friend and a woman? Signed Very Confused."

Lois thought for a moment and then shook her head as if to shake a ridiculous thought away. Then she began to write her response. 

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Clark eagerly grabbed the Torch off the table and looked for the response to his question.

_"Dear Very Confused, I assume this girl you speak of is probably a friend. Hence, why she wants you to treat her as a friend. If she is a friend, don't pay attention to her gender. However, if you are looking for more than that, make it clear to her. Start by giving her flowers. Smiling at her."_

Clark looked up from the paper even more confused than before. Why couldn't he just be happy treating her like a friend? Out of all the friends who were girls in his life, she was probably the one he treated least like a girl and yet was the one that he was most aware was a girl. It hadn't started out that way. He had tried the traditional, gentle, charming approach that he always used with girls when he met Lois in the graveyard, but that hadn't lasted long. Lois was not flattered by it and lived to get a rise out of him. He wondered why that was. She didn't seem to treat everyone that way. She was always respectful to his parents. She didn't banter with Chloe. She bantered with people she didn't like. His eyes widened and he tensed up. Was it possible that she didn't like him? He relaxed. No, she always smiled afterward. If Lois truly didn't like someone, she wouldn't smile. It was strange that he already knew so much about her in such a short time. He couldn't guess why she seemed to take particular joy in annoying him. It brought him back around to why couldn't he just be happy the way things were? He didn't know that either, but he decided to take Lois up on her advice. He was going to make a stop to the florist.

A bell jingled as he went into the flower shop. "Be with you in a minute," called a voice from the back room. Clark reached into his pocket to pull out Lois' advice that he had cut out. He read it again. "Start by giving her flowers." He ignored the part that said if you are looking for more.

An older lady came out with a poodle style perm. She looked at him with a smile. She pulled off her glasses for a moment to remove a spot and then asked, "May I help you?"

Clark stuffed the clipping back into his pocket and stepped closer to the counter. "I want to buy some flowers."

"I figured that," she said with a chuckle. "What sort of flowers?"

"I don't know," Clark said, turning a little red. "It's for a girl."

She was still smiling. "Red roses?"

"Maybe," he said.

"Do you know what her favorite flower is?"

He shook his head.

"Well, roses are a good choice then."

He pulled out his wallet. "I don't have much with me."

"A single rose is sweet and denotes simplicity. I don't think she would mind."

"And we're just friends. A dozen might be too much anyway."

"Perhaps a yellow rose then. It stands for friendship."

"That sounds good. At least, I think we're friends. I do want us to be better friends."

"I think I understand where you're coming from now. Maybe a pink rose then? It also stands for friendship, but has a slightly more romantic color."

Clark smiled, "That sounds perfect."

-

Lois opened her locker the next morning and found a single pink rose sitting on top of her books.

"Why is there a rose in my locker?" Lois asked.

Chloe took a peek. "Better yet, why are your books in there. Lois, how do you expect to get your credits if you don't do your homework?"

"I have better things to do with my time." Lois picked the rose up and smelled it. She looked around to see if anybody was watching her. No one appeared to be.

Lois smiled and Chloe frowned at Lois' smile.

"Who knew I was the type of girl to get secret admirers? It's flattering and creepy at the same time. I wonder who it could be."

"I wonder," Chloe replied her frown deepening.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Chloe once again tracked Clark down. She folded her arms as she said, "I know that flower was from you."

"And if it was?" he asked, trying to sound uninterested.

"I don't like the idea of you playing with my cousin's affections."

"What affections?" Clark said with a small chuckle. "Not for me."

"She liked the rose."

Clark visibly brightened. "She did?"

"What are you trying to do?" Chloe asked, shutting his locker, so that she had his full attention.

"I'm trying to improve my relationship with Lois."

"And how do you plan on doing that when she doesn't know the flower was from you? Either you like her enough to want to romance her or you don't. This half-in half-out business isn't getting you anywhere, and it's not improving her view of you. Do you like her?"

"I don't know. Maybe. You don't have to be madly in love to date somebody. Dating was made to find that fact out. I'd be taking her to a movie, not a church."

"Point taken, but if you already know that it isn't going anywhere and you date that person anyway without that person knowing why you're going out, that's called playing with their affections. She looks like a tough cookie and she is, but she has a soft center. She could end up caring a lot about you and she's been hurt enough."

"I think it's great that you're so protective of her."

"It's because she is just as protective of me, if not more, but don't try and change the subject."

"I do like your cousin a whole lot, and I've seen that soft, protective side when she thought you were dead. Believe me, I respect her. I wouldn't do anything to hurt her or use her. If we ever went out, emphasis on the if, then I would make it clear to her where I stood."

Chloe sighed. "If you're serious about this, don't be sneaky about it. Just tell her the truth. She'll appreciate it more and it'll improve your chances." With that, she left him alone to think about it.

Clark thought about it, but he had no clue about how to ask her out, so he took out a piece of paper and a pen.

sss

"Chloe, listen to this. 'I want to ask this girl out to the fall social, but I have no clue how to do it. She isn't your typical girl. She's more of a friend, or maybe an acquaintance. I'm really not sure where we stand. How should I approach it? Signed Looking for a Date to the Fall Social.' What do you make of that?"

"I don't know. Is it the name Fall Social you find amusing? It sounds like your average teenage problem to me."

"I've just started noticing a pattern. Remember that one note that talked about the rude, bossy girl? Then there was the one about the girl who doesn't act like a girl, and I advised him to give her a flower if he was interested in her and I get a flower. Now there's this one about a not typical girl, and he's not sure where they stand, but he wants to ask her out. Chloe? Do you think this is the same person and I am the target? I think I might have a stalker."

"Stalker is putting it a little strongly. I would say more of an admirer."

"Who is using the advice column to pursue me? That's more than a little cowardly and not my idea of a date to anywhere, much less some quaint little dance. I knew the advice column was a bad idea. What am I supposed to say?"

"I don't know, but be gentle," Chloe said warily, not sure Lois knew the meaning of the word gentle. "I have to leave a little early. I'm covering the football game."

When it was time to go home, Lois was surrounded by crumpled papers and still she had no idea how she wanted to word the response. He was either a shy freshman or a sleazy jerk, who thought he was being clever, and she didn't know which way to respond to it.

Lois was almost out of the front door to the school when she realized she had forgotten to shut off Chloe's computer for her. She hurried back and started to turn the corner, but she froze instead. Clark was peering into the advice shoebox. He smiled at its emptiness and suddenly Lois knew who had been writing her. Clark walked off without knowing that she had seen him.

"So that's the way you want to play, Kent. Then let the games begin," she said, under her breath.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

"I'll do the final printing, cuz," Lois offered, trying very hard to leave the eagerness out of her voice.

"Trying to earn brownie points?" Chloe asked with a smile.

"Something like that. You deserve a break. You worked hard on this paper."

"Well, I would like to get started on my homework."

"There you go. I don't even do my homework, so it's no problem for me to finish up here."

Chloe shook her head. "Fine, and you do know where to put the papers when they're finished?"

"Of course."

"Okay, I trust you," Chloe said in an uncertain tone.

Lois felt a little underhanded doing what she was about to do, but whenever she pictured Clark smiling into the advice box, her resolve strengthened. She was sure that Chloe had known who the notes were from and hadn't told her, which made her feel less guilty about duping her cousin, and she was also sure Chloe wouldn't go along with her plan to get even. "It's not brain surgery."

Chloe laughed. "Okay, okay. I'm going."

Lois waited a couple of minutes to make sure Chloe wasn't coming back. The she hurriedly began adding to the advice column section.

_Dear Looking for a Date, I can't speak for this other girl, but I know I would admire any man who was not afraid to declare his feelings in public. The most romantic scenario I can think of is declaring your feelings through a poem and reciting it in front of a large group of people. She is sure to want to go with you to the Fall Social or anywhere else you name._

Lois had another flash of guilt as she pushed the print button. What if Clark had been serious about his pursuit? Then she thought of how Clark lived to drive her as crazy; it was mutual but still this advice column thing had gone too far. This was a game to him. She was sure of it.

It could go two ways from here, either Clark would do it and would be paid back for his childish antics or he wouldn't and drop the game. Either way she came out on top. Just thinking about Clark Kent making his feelings public, even fake ones, was comical enough to make her laugh. She was certain which way it was going to go. She didn't expect to get any more notes wanting advice from him or to hear any poems.

"What are you doing in the library?" Chloe asked the following day, as Clark was looking through some of the dustier, less used books.

Clark cleared his throat and dodged the question. "Looking for a book. What else? What are you doing here?"

"I have to find a book on the Articles of Confederation," she answered, suspicion filled her eyes at his clear avoidance.

"This isn't the history section," he said, pointing out the obvious.

"I know. It's where the poetry books are," she said pointedly, wondering if Clark knew where he was.

Clark nodded. Chloe shrugged. It couldn't be for Lois. She wasn't a poetry kind of person and surely Clark knew that. Either it was something school-related or he had turned his attention to a girl who did like poetry. She left him alone and went to get her own book.

Clark found one, a deep red volume with gold lettering. He knew if he recited something he had wrote, it would turn out really badly and then he would humiliate himself. He skimmed the table of contents until he found a title that sounded good. He flipped to the page and read over it. It sounded like the perfect poem. He closed it with a soft clap and some of the dust rose up. The library wasn't a place for a person with allergies. He carried it to the front.

The librarian didn't say a word about his selection as she checked the book out for him, but Clark felt that she somehow knew that he wanted it for a girl or maybe it was just nervousness on his part.

He shook his head as he left the library with the book in hand. He couldn't believe he was about to do this. He must like Lois a lot more than he had thought.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Clark took a deep breath and made his way down the hall to where Lois was digging in her locker. It was the beginning of the school day, and it was now or never in Clark's mind. He opened up the book with the title _John Clare's Poetry _on it.

Lois saw him open the book and she wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go. A small crowd began gathering to watch the spectacle. Lois was flabbergasted. Her eyes lighted onto Chloe who was watching the scene with some amusement. She must have read the paper by now and thought Lois was getting her just desserts. Lois kept her eyes fixed on the Fall Social poster, as Clark began, to keep her desire to throttle him at bay.

Clark read in a quiet but meaningful voice:

"My love, thou art a nosegay sweet,  
My sweetest flower I'll prove thee,  
And pleased I pin thee to my breast,  
And dearly do I love thee.

And when, my nosegay, thou shalt fade,  
As sweet a flower thou'lt prove thee;  
And as thou witherest on my breast  
For beauty past I'll love thee.

And when, my nosegay, thou shalt die,  
And heaven's flower shalt prove thee,  
My hopes shall follow to the sky,  
And everlasting love thee.

Lois, will you go to the Fall Social with me?" he asked in a louder, more confident tone.

"What are you doing?" Lois whispered hoarsely. She felt heat radiating off her face. Some of the crowd thought it was sweet, mainly the girls, and others thought it was the most amusing display they had ever seen in their life. This isn't how she had planned it. He couldn't have chosen a much worse poem either.

He looked at her confused. "I'm doing what you asked me to."

Lois's red flush changed from embarrassment to anger. She grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him into the empty janitor's closet, ignoring the whistles.

"What is wrong with you? Why out of all the poems in the world, did you choose that one?" she asked.

He looked a little sheepish, "I thought it would match a dance well, comparing you to a nosegay. I guess I could have picked a better one."

"You think? 'Pin thee to my breast?' And talking about loving me when I wither and die?"

"It made sense at the time, and it's actually a very romantic poem if you think about it. It talks about lasting love, but it might not have been the best choice for asking a girl to a dance. I was also thinking about another poem in here called _Secret Love_. It sounded very appropriate at first, but that one didn't end very well either. Maybe I should have tried a different poet."

"Maybe you should have tried letting it rest. Are you still playing this game?" Lois asked, not very impressed.

"What game?" asked a puzzled Clark.

Lois shook her head in annoyance, "The game where you write to me for advice and then use my advice against me."

Clark's head had dropped a little in shame. "It was dishonest I know, but I meant well. I like you a lot, Lois, and I guess I've never really learned how to express that to a girl yet. That's why I thought having you work on the advice column would be the perfect cover to find out how things stand between us. With each note, I got more and more serious about you, about us. I really mean that."

"Are you sure you're not just trying to make a fool out of me?"

Clark looked a little shocked, "I know I tease you, but I would never carry it that far."

She sighed. "I guess you're right. You're not really that type, are you?"

"So will you go to the Fall Social with me?" he asked hopefully.

Lois gave a small smile, "Why not? I guess you've earned it after that delivery you gave, but we are not going to neck in the parking lot of a fast food joint before or after the dance; I want to make that clear right now. This may be a small town, but I am not a small town girl."

Clark followed her out of the janitor's closet, shaking his head. He was well aware of that fact. Lois Lane was definitely not the typical girl, small town or otherwise.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

"Have I told you how nice you look?" Clark asked as he handed Lois the punch he had gotten her.

"Only about a 100 times. I got this little red number off a clearance rack. It's not that nice."

"But it is," he assured her.

"We're still just friends, right?" Lois asked, dropping the dress subject and wanting clarification.

"If that's all you want us to be," he said obligingly.

"I mean is this dance thing a genuine date or not?" she prodded. "Do you—" she was about to ask if he still had feelings for Lana and as if the mere thought of her could bring her there, Lana appeared in the doorway at that very moment.

Lana came into the room dressed like an old-fashioned movie star and was just as lovely, as always. Lois looked to Clark to see what his reaction would be. She was sure that there would be a look of worship and puppy love on his face that was always there when he spotted Lana. She was surprised beyond belief when there wasn't.

"Lana looks nice, doesn't she?" Lois asked, wondering if that would bring just a flicker of the old look to the surface.

"Not as nice as you," he said, turning his attention back to her.

"So…are you over her?" she asked, still not able to digest it.

"I am," he said with a smile. "Thanks to you."

Lois looked back to the entrance. Jason came through the door a few seconds after Lana. They didn't come in together, but there was something about their timing and the looks they were giving each other that said they were together.

"It looks like you were right about there being another man," Clark said, startling Lois out of her observation.

"I guess I was," she said slowly.

"And look over toward the stage. You were also right about Mike. Isn't he the one that asked you how a computer geek can get a popular girl to go out with him? He's dancing with Michelle, so your advice must have worked. Maybe you should seriously consider giving people advice for a living."

"My days as an advice columnist are over," Lois said with absolute certainty riddled in her voice. "I've already told Chloe. I'm not saying I'm not ever going to be a journalist as long as I live, but if I were, I want to be in on the action side of it, not sitting at a desk responding to whiny people, no offense, Smallville."

"None taken. Would you like to dance?" he asked, seeing that she had finished her punch.

"Well, that is why we're here," Lois said by way of saying yes.

Chloe came up to them before they made it out onto the dance floor. "So you're here. Together. I see it, but I don't really believe it."

"I know it's hard to believe, but it's actually been very nice so far," Lois said.

"I hope you're okay with it. I know you were worried that I wasn't serious about Lois," Clark said, "but now I know that I am and Lana is in the past."

Chloe swallowed hard. "As long as you're both happy about it, I'm happy for you."

Clark gave her a smile of gratitude and Lois squeezed her hand. Then Clark and Lois took the floor and danced to a slow song.

Lois found a note in her locker the next day. 'I know you're not giving advice anymore, but you see there is this girl that I went to the Fall Social with and I think I am falling in love with her, but I'm not sure if I should tell her, since I don't know if she feels the same way. What should I do? Signed Hopelessly in Love.'

Lois shut the locker door with a smile on her face. Clark was standing there, waiting for her answer. "I think that the girl is falling in love with you too. In fact, I think she already has, so it is completely safe to tell her."

Clark smiled happily and embraced her in a hug. "I love you."

"I love you too, and one last piece of advice, Smallville. I think the girl would fall more deeply in love with you if you took her out for pizza after that crappy school lunch."

"Advice received and noted," he said with a laugh.

The End


End file.
